Automatic self-lubricating bolt.



D LANDAU & H. G. FARR.

AUTOMATED SELF LUBfilCAThIG BOLT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. .913.

lament-ed Nev. 9, 1915.

i TED sans Parent creme.

DAVID LANDAU, OF NEW YORK, N. 2., AND HERMAN G. FARR. F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SELF-LUBRICATING BOLT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 1 1, 1913. Serial No. 767,532.

To all whom it may concern;

I): it known that we, DAVID LANDAU and HEL'IAN (l. FARR, citizens of the lfmted States of America, residing, respectively, at New York, in the county and State of New York, and at Springfield, in the count of Hampden and State of lrlassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Self-Lubri aiting Bolts. of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an automatic self-luln'icating boltsuch as may be used for example. in pivotally connecting the two ends of a spring. particularly in automobile construction, and to such a bolt as is used to support. for example, a rotating part or huh, such as a fan hub in automobile or other use.

The invention may be broadly applied for lubricating the rubbing surfaces of any two or more parts. any one of which may rotate with respect to the other.. i

The invention is disclosed in its preferred form as applied to a pivotal spring connection where the rubbing parts have uncertain and varied movements. one with respect to another.

Another preferred form of the invention is disclosed in connectioii with a supporting and hearing means for the hub of a fan in which the rubbing parts have a very high and certain rotativc speed with relation to one another.

The forms of the invention herein are disclosed for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may he preferably carried out and not with any idea of limiting the invention. broadly. to the specific uses and construction shown and disclosed herein.

The invention, broadly. comprises a bolt structure which isdcsinned to support a hub or collar in such a manner that the contacting surfaces may have relative movement. one to the other. together with means for supplying. in an automatic and self-containin; manner. the necessary quantity of lubricant in the right condition to render such relative movement free and easy. This is preferably accomplished by providing an axial cylindrical recess in the bolt. having radial o ')enin s to the surface of the bolt. and providing a wick adapted to be soaked with a suitable lubricant for insertion into said axial recess. The radial holes are also supplied with similar wick material so that, when the axial recess is filled .with the wick material soaked in lubricant, there will be contact between the wick material in the axial hole and in the radial holes. With this structure and arrangement, the surface of any part moving on the exterior surface of the bolt, as a hearing. will cause the lubricant in the wick material in the axial recess the wick material in the radial holes and thus automatically fed to the surface of the bolt, on which surface it will serve as a necessary lubricant for the moving part. With a structure of this kind. the lubricant will be fed to the surface of the bolt in proportion to the speed at which the contacting surface moves with relation to the surface of the bolt. Thus, the lubricant will be fed between the moving surfaces in the necessary amount to provide for the l'novements actually taking place. Means are also preferably, but not necessarily. provided for allowing the lubri ant thus fed to the surface of the bolt to drain freely back to the wick material in the axial recess of the bolt. This is accomplished by providing cut out spaces or hollows in the surface of the bolt and preferably adjacent to the radial openings in the bolt and by connecting these hollows by a free passage to the axial recess in the to be sucked up by capillarv action through bolt. it will be noted that the invention may be applied as a lubricating means for shaft bearings and the like as well as lubricating bolt construction.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic selfdubricating bolt or structure of the class mentioned and also to pro vide such a structure which may be supplied withthe necessary quantity of lubricant to last for a very long time as compared to the length of time that the ordinary supply of lubricant lasts under the present practice and also to provide means for automatically feeding this lubricantto the wearing surface of the bolt in different quantities each in proportion to the varying speeds of the moving surfaces, on the bolt.

Another object of the invention is to vide means for inserting the wick material in the self-luhricatin; bolt in the most convenient manner so that the same may he inserted or Withdrawn without danger of injuring the wick material.

Anotherobject of the invention is to propro- - moving it from the recess in the bolt.

-which lubricant may be of such a nature I Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic lubricating bolt in connection with which a great range of different kinds of lubricants in difi'erent conditions may be safely used.

Another obje t of the invention is to provide an automatic self-lubricating bolt which. as a self-contained structure, automatically provides lubricant to the parts as needed that it is not materially affected in viscosity under ordinary varying temperatures.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic self-lubricating bolt which will have allwthe advantages of self-lubricating means which are common in the wellknown gi'ease cup constructions but which do not have the disadvantages of such grease cup constructions.

.Vith these objects in view, the preferred form of the invention is specifically illustrated in the accompanying drawings in or- (ler to disclose the manner in which the invention may be carried out, but it is to be understood that the invention maybe carried out in many other ways without departing from the broad scope of the inven- Wick material from the bolt.

ti n as clail'ncd.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows the bolt as applied in a pivotal'connccting arrangement for the two ends of a vehicle spring Construction. Fi 2 is a plan view of the bolt structure. I ig. 3 is a perspective view of the wick material designed to hold the supply of lubricant and enter the axial recess of the bolt together with the means for holding, inserting, and extracting said Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the bolt structurewith all the parts in place. Fig. 5is a perspective yiew of the cap nut or head which is designed to receive the wick material to most conveniently handle the latter. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a form of the'invent ion in whichthe lubricant may be autoniatically supplied to the wick material in the axial hole. Fig. 7 is a view, partly in section, showing the manner in which the invention may be applied to provide an a11t0-' matic self-lubricating boltfor use with a rapidly rotating part such as a fair structure.

Referring to Fig. 1, it is well known that the bolts connecting the endsof the two parts of vehicle springs frequently need to be oiled or greased as, otherwise, the wearing surfaces of the connecting bolt will soon be worn out in which case the move ments of the spring will canse considerable noise. It is customary .to remove these sp. 1g bolts frequently and rub grease over the surfaces. it is also customary to provide grease cups which will force the grease to thenvearing surfaces without removing the bolt. The disadvantage of the latter practice is that the grease that must be used in the grease cups changes its viscosity greatly with the temperature; thus, when it is very warm. too much will be fed, and, when it is cold. not enough grease will be fed to the wearing parts; and, in addition,

Fig. 4, comprises a main bolt portion a in' 'WhlCll there is Jan axial recess extending almost the whole length of the bolt. In this recess a cylindrical piece of wick material 0 is designed to be inserted. This wick material. has, preferably, attached at one end a hollow holding or cap nut 1), best illustrated in Fig. One end of the cylindrical wick 'inaterial is inserted in the open end of'the nut b, and the sharp prongs g are then bent downwardly and forced into the wick material, as illustrated in Fig. 3. This arrangement prevents any relative movement between the wick material and the holding nut l). \Vith this arrangement, the wick material 0 may be inserted in the axial hole in thebolt a, and, by turning it slowly as it is inserted, it will work easily into the "thread in the holding nut 7/ as clearly shown in Fig. t. In this way, the wick material 0 may 'be forced home against the bottom of the axial recess of the bolt. The

length of this recess is slightly shorter than the length of the wick material together with the holding nut b so that, as the wick material is forced home, it is necessarily expanded in the last few turns of the holding nut .71. T his causes the wick material to be forced radially into close contact with the entrances to the radial openings'rl. In

these openings, additional wick material is provided, and the openings at their outer end are preferably counter-sunk, and the wick material is headed over to fill the counter-sunk openings in the manner shown in Fig. 4c. \Vith this constructionfthe wick material in the radial openings d cannot be easily pulled out of the radial openings when the wick material 0 is taken out for a new supply of lubricant. It is to be understood that, before the material 0 is inserted in the recess, it is thoroughly soaked in any kind of oil, and it may be soaked even with very dirty oil and still serve the main purpose desired. From the showing in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the movement of any hub on the wearing surface of the bolt (.4 will cause the lubricant to work out from the wick material c through the wick material in the radial openings 7/ to the contacting surfaces, and, even where the lubricant in the wick material 0 is dirty, although such oil which is sucked out through the wick material (Z will necessarily be strained and clean.

The lubricant will work out through the radial holes in proportionto the movements of the hub or collar supported by the bolt c and thus an automatic self-lubricating bolt of the hind desired is provided. Where the bolt is used as shown in connection with the illustration in Fig. 1, it will not be necessary to furnish a fresh supply of a lubricant except at long intervals, and, when it 15 necessary to furnish a tresh supply, the

bolt will not have to be removed for the holding nut Z) may be taken out of the bolt, and the wiolrmaterial c dipped in a supply of lubricant and reinserted.

llhere the self-lubricating bolt is designed to be used with a part running at high speed, such as the hub of the fan n as shown in Fig. 7, it found convenient and advantageous to supply a means for returning any excess oil l ed to the wearing surfaces hack to the wiclr material 0. F or this purpose, referring to Fig. 6, the hollows f with their ends adjacent to the outer ends of the radial holes are milled on the outer surface of the bolt, and the bottom of these hollows have free open communication with the wick material 0 through the openings 6. It will be understood that, when the fan n is driven at speed by the driving pulley m, a consid erable amount of lubricant will be sucked out through the radial openings d from the wick material 0 which quantity will be in proportion to the speed at which the fan is running. If the fan is suddenly stopped,

or slowed down, the lubricant which is not then necessary for use will work its Way back to the Wick material 0 through the hollows f and the open holes 6. \Vhen the fan is running at very high speed, no lubric nt can be sucked out through the holes 6 nd the hollows because there is no wick material therein to aid in the feed of the lubricant.

In fan structure, such as shown in Fig. 'l', Where it is necessary to use a considerable amount of oil and in similar structures. it

i is preferable to supply a lubricant cup is screwed into the head of the bolt as shown for closing the said recess.

provided in the bolt and the holding nut b to the wick material. In this case, it is notnecessary to remove the wick material c at ter it is once inserted for a fresh supply of lubricant may be furnished to the wick material through the cup 20 and the connecting passage mentioned.

While the invention has been shown and described in some of its specific forms, it is to be understood that this has been done with the idea of illustrating the uses to which the invention may be put and not with an idea of limiting the broad invention to the formsshown.

What we claim is l. A lubricating bolt structure, comprising, in combination, a main bolt portion provided with an axial recess and connecting openings from said recess t0 the wearing surface of the bolt, an absorbent material packed in said recess and openings, and means attached to the absorbent material. to subject the same to pressure to cause it to expand and fill the recess, whereby lubricant contained in the material in the axial recess may be gradually sucked out through the material in the openings to thowearing surface of the bolt, all in the mafiner and for the purpose described.

An automatic self-contained self'lubrieating bolt provided with an axial cylindrical recess, radial openings from the recess to the wearing surface of the bolt, to-- to serve as a means for operating the Wick material to subject the same to pressure and I all for the purpose described.-

3. An automatic self-contained self-lubrieating bolt provided with an axial cylindrical recess, radial openingsfrom the recess to the wearing surface of the bolt hav ing wick material packed therein, together with a cylindrical body of wick material, and a head piece therefor adapted to close the opening to the recessand force the Wick material against the end' of the recess and thus expand the same radially into close contact with the wick material in the radial openings, all for the purpose described.

4. A self-contained automatic self-lubricating bolt structure, comprising, in combination. a main cylindrical body portion having an axial cylindrical recess therein extending almost to the end of the bolt having radial openings in communication with the wearing surfaces of the bolt from the said axial recess, wick material packed in said radial openings, a cylindrical body of wick material arranged to enter'and fill said axial recess and having an adjustable head piece adapted to close the opening of said recess and attached to the Wick material whereby the latter may be compressed to feed the lubricant therein, the wearing surface of said bolt havingseveral hollows provided therein the bottoms of which are in open communication with the axial recess, all for the purpose described.

5. A. self-lubricating bolt, comprising, in combination, a main bolt portion having an axial cylindrical recess with openings-therefrom-oonnecting with the wearing surface of the-bolt, a cylindrical body of wick mate rial adapted to enter said recess, a hollow nut adapted to fit over the end of said body of wick material, prongs provided in the edge thereof arranged to be bent down and forced into the wick material to hold the nut and wick material firmly together, said hollow nut being arranged to engage threads end of said axial recess and end of said recess.

bolt for general apin the outer thus close the G. A self-lubricating plication, comprising, a socketed bearing portion having threads at one end, a head at the other and apertures in its end portion leading to said socket, a wick adapted to fill said socket and adjustable removable means directly secured to said wick and adapted to press the wick against the walls of the socket or remove it therefrom.

DAVID LANDAU. \Vitnesses i J. M. VATSON, R. A. SCHAY.

HERMAN G. FARR. itnessesz Snms'rmx HINTON, HENRY A. Boo'ru. 

